Mixing apparatus



Dec. 13, 1938. L. DQI-I-INGER 2,140,315

MIXING APPARATUS Fiied July 27, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J/N VENTOKR Zt'M/J Z. DOLL/N651? FORNEY Dec, 13, 1938 L. L. DOLLINGEl Q MIXING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 27, 1936 INVENTOR .DOLLINGER Patented Dec. 13, 1938 UNlTED STATES ATENT OFFIE Application July 27,

1 Claim.

This invention relates to mixing apparatus for stirring together and mixing liquids or a mixture of liquids and solids or semi-solids and the invention has for its object to provide a novel form and construction for such an apparatus with which the stirring and mixing is accomplished more efficiently and in a shorter period than has heretofore been possible.

This and other objects of this invention will become more readily apparent from the detailed description thereof which follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a tank or vessel with my mixing apparatus suspended therein, the apparatus being shown partially in section.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a portion of the tank or vessel and the mixing apparatus suspended therein.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of a tank and a modified form of the mix ing apparatus attached thereto.

In the figures of the drawings like reference numerals indicate like parts.

The mixing apparatus forming the subject matter of my present invention is of the type using a mixing propeller driven by a suitable electric motor. In the figures reference numeral I indicates the tank or vessel in which the mixing operation is performed. To the edge of this tank is fastened the clamp 2 for the support of the bracket 3. The latter is mounted to swing on a suitable pivot pin 4 to enable the operator to swing the bracket into any angular position to support the mixing apparatus proper in the center of the tank and at points between the center and the wall of the tank. A clamping wheel 5 threaded to the pivot pin serves to clamp the bracket in place after it has been swung into the desired position over the tank.

Suitably mounted to the outer end of the bracket 3 is the motor 6 of which the armature shaft 1 is splined to the armature thereof so as to be rotated thereby and at the same time be movable endwise therein to permit the shaft to be raised and lowered as will hereinafter be described. An extension of the armature shaft projects into the tank and carries at its lower end the mixing propeller 8. The blades 9, 9 of this propeller are perforated with the holes Ill, Ill so that some of the mix is forced thru these holes in the blades to increase the mixing efficiency of the blades by squeezing out the lumps in the mix.

The armature shaft and its extension are sur- 1936, Serial No. 92,730

rounded by the intake tube H which is mounted so as to he concentric thereto. In the wall of s are the intake openings l2, l2

and a sleeve surrounds the intake tube and is adapted to slide up and down thereon so as to open close the intake openings and provide for the intake at the level or below the level of the mix in the tank. In the position of the sleeve illustrated in Figure 1 the intake openings 12, 52 are opened at the top to have the mix entering the tube for mixing purposes taken from the top of the mix. However by sliding the tube up so as to close the upper portion of the intake openings and opening the lower portion of these openings the mix may be taken from below the level in the tank for mixing purposes by the mixing propeller.

The intake tube extends substantially the full length of the armature shaft extension and is enlarged at the bottom to provide the mixing chamber ltA. This chamber is large enough to surround the mixing propeller 8 and the rotation of the propeller operates to draw the mix down thru the intake tube at a high velocity and force it out of the bottom thereof.

By lowering the mixing propeller it is moved out of the mixing chamber to decrease the amount of mix drawn down thru the intake tube. The movement of the mixing propeller out of or back into the mixing'chamber is made possible by the endwise movement of the armature shaft in the armature. For the movement of the shaft a channeled collar I4 is carried at the free endof the armature shaft and the bifurcated end of the arm l5 engages the collar to permit its free rotation therein while the arm is raised or lowered. For the latter purpose a feed screw I6 is rotatably mounted in the arm 3 and is threaded thru the arm l5 so that on the rotation of this screw the arm I5 is moved up or down to raise or lower the armature shaft and with it the mixing propeller. A guide rod ll mounted on the bracket 3 and passing thru the arm l5 serves to guide this arm in its up and down movement by the feed screw M.

In Figure 3 I have illustrated a simplified form of the mixing apparatus. In this form the motor 5A is suitably supported by the bracket 3A which in turn is provided with a clamp 2A with which it may be removably clamped to the edge of a vessel. The armature shaft of the motor is hollow and has the propeller shaft splined therein so that it can slide in and out thereof for the purpose of raising or lowering the propeller l8 carried at the lower end of the shaft.

An extension 3B of the bracket 3A has provided thereon a bearing l 9 in line with the hollow armature shaft of the motor. A suitable antifriction thrust bearing 20 encircles the propeller shaft below the bearing l9 and a collar 2| is adjustably keyed to the propeller shaft by means of a set screw 22 below the antifriction thrust bearing so that any up thrust of the propeller shaft is transmitted from the, collar 2| to the antifriction thrust bearing.

For the purpose of raising and lowering the propeller shaft in order to raise and lower the propeller in the mix within the vessel, a suitable handle 23 is provided at the upper end of the propeller shaft on the outside of the extension bracket 33.

Surrounding the propeller shaft between the motor and the propeller is the collapsible tube 25. The upper section of this tube is suitably supported by the motor frame and has an inlet 26 in the side thereof so as to permit the mix to enter the tube at or near the surface level. The bottom section of the tube is suitably connected to the grooved hub 21 of the propeller in such a manner that this hub holds the outlet of the tube concentric to the propeller shaft in close proximity to the top of the propeller. Raising and lowering the propeller shaft and propeller will thus collapse or extend the tube to have the mix drawn thereoutof by the propeller at any elevation thereof.

The operation of the mixing propeller thus causes the mix to enter the tube 25 at or near the surface level whence it is drawn down into the tube and expelled therefrom at a high velocity by the mixing propeller. This creates a current from the top of the mix to the bottom which, with the action of the propeller blades on the mix, causes an eifioient mixing of the ingredients of the mix.

To provide an additional mixing action for the apparatus, the propeller shaft may be provided with one or more paddles in the form of pins 30, 30 which project radially from the propeller shaft within the tube and are suitably arranged and spaced thereon so that the mix forced thru the tube=by the action of the propeller is broken up in its passage thru the tube and the ingredients of the mix given a preliminary stirring or mixing before they reach the propeller.

I claim:

A mixing apparatus comprising a motor, a propeller shaft operatively connected to said motor and movable endwise thru said motor, a propeller carried by said propeller shaft, a collapsible tube surrounding said propeller shaft between said motor and said propeller so as to permit its extension and contraction on the endwise movement of said propeller shaft, one end of said collapsible tube being held fixed and the other end of said tube being connected to said propeller shaft to be movable endwise therewith, said tube having an inlet and an outlet for the passage of liquid or semi-liquid therethru.

LEWIS L. DOLLINGER 

